Enjoy the quiet, magical quality of the New Forest in the winter months. Big skies switch from moody greys to bright blues ,with the winter sun peeking through the National Park’s ancient trees. Wildlife is still abundant in the forest, and the famous New Forest Ponies continue to graze outside, dressed in thick, fluffy winter coats. Gorgeous thatched pubs and historic inns are on hand to welcome you with great food and roaring log fires to keep you cosy after a long walk. Explore the New Forest’s pretty villages, delve into tiny shops crammed with artisan goodies and curiosities, and don’t be surprised to find the ponies ambling down the village streets with you, happy to pose for a snap.
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There’s lots to see and do on a short break in the New Forest this winter. Here are our suggestions for the best things to do and see…
Giddy Up and Enjoy the Ride
Get into the saddle and head out on horseback through the forest and over the vast heathlands. Arniss Equestrian at Godshill and Ford Farm near Brockenhurst are both very good. If you fancy something a little different, be like a cowboy and try a two-hour western riding experience with Burley-Villa School of Riding in Bashley.
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For Petrol Heads, History and Transport Lovers
The Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum near New Milton is open on weekends over the winter. Go to see one of the best collections of completely restored motorcycles in the world, from factory racers to exotic prototypes, all curated by 11 times British Champion and motorcycling hero Sammy Miller. Take a trip to Beaulieu – hailed as the prettiest village in the New Forest, and home to the legendary National Motor Museum. Go to see the fascinating collection of vehicles from the earliest models, F1 and record-breaking racing giants, to famous cars from the world of TV and film. While at Beaulieu, visit the stately Palace House and remains of the 800 year old Abbey. There’s a lovely 3km walk from Beaulieu to the tourist attraction hamlet of Buckler’s Hard on the banks of the Beaulieu River. It was here that so many of the forest’s trees were felled for shipbuilding, including Nelson’s warships for the battle of Trafalgar. Today, you can visit the museum and its beautifully preserved 18th-century labourers’ cottages. Continuing with the transport theme, Bournemouth Aviation Museum is a small, outdoor attraction,that’s brilliant if you enjoy real hands-on, interactive exhibits. You can get inside many of the aircraft and get close up to a variety of planes and the formidable Westland helicopter. It’s right next door to Bournemouth Airport, so you’ll get the chance to see planes landing and taking off as well.
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Get into the Wildlife
The New Forest Wildlife Park is a lovely afternoon out, with woodland trails past enclosures housing wallaby, wolves, wild boar, wildcats, lynx, polecats and lots more, including huge European bison. The deer are unusually friendly for photos, and there are quite a few enclosures of otters, who are super cute, loud and extremely funny to watch! We’d also suggest you take a look at an experience day with New Forest Academy of Falconry. Here, you can enjoy close up, hands-on interaction and learn all about the academy’s owls, hawks, falcons and eagles in their private 12-acre woodland site in the New Forest. Bring a friend to take some photos, as the shots will be amazing! It’s only a half hour or so drive to Bournemouth’s seafront indoor attraction The Oceanarium. It’s a brilliant underwater living exhibit, and a captivating way to spend a few hours surrounded by colourful marine life, as well as penguins reptiles and otters. Don’t miss the chance to experience the world’s first virtual Interactive Dive Cage!
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History Heritage and the Arts
Salisbury is just 6 miles from our New Forest cottages in the north of the National Park. A trip to Salisbury Cathedral should definitely be on your to-do list. It’s an extraordinary building, woven with history and beauty, and crowed with Britain’s tallest spire and the world’s oldest working clock, dating back to the 14th Century. Hit Salisbury’s narrow lanes and streets lined with boutiques and quirky independent shops. You may also like to see a production at Salisbury Playhouse who showcase repertoires from home-grown productions to shows from the West End and the country’s best touring companies. Other theatres in the area worth looking up to see what’s on include: Southampton’s Mayflower, The Regent Centre in Christchurch and Bournemouth International Centre.
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Off to Market
New Forest Street Markets operate throughout the year. Market days are a popular haunt and attract locals from surrounding villages. The street markets are the perfect place to pick up delicious produce and home-cooked dinners to take back to your New Forest holiday cottage for supper. Go for tasty treats, artisan handicrafts and stalls heaped with baked goods, fresh fruit and vegetables, fish and meat. Christchurch Street Market is on a Monday, Hythe on a Tuesday, New Milton and Ringwood on Wednesday and Lymington on Saturday. Farmers’ markets are a delight for food lovers. You’ll find them on the first Saturday of the month in Hythe, and the last Saturday of the month in Ringwood. While in Ringwood, book a tour of Ringwood Brewery. It wins rave reviews on Trip Advisor and regularly quoted by visitors as being one of the best brewery tours they’ve ever been on. You’ll be shown how the beer is made and sample some of the amber liquid before buying some from the shop to take back to your cottage.
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Twitching Delights!
The New Forest is home to an abundance of migratory and winter birds. Pack a flask of coffee, and head out to the forest and spend a rewarding few hours bird watching. With the lack of foliage, winter months can be the best season to spot birds. You can see merlin, peregrine falcon, dartford warbler, great grey shrike and short-eared owls. Also, try Blashford Lakes Nature Reserve near Ringwood which is an excellent site for twitching. Key Haven Nature Reserve between Lymington and Milford on Sea is another well-regarded spot to see sizeable flocks of brent geese, ducks as well as pintails, shoveler and lots of other wildfowl.
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Take a look at our portfolio of New Forest holiday cottages here.